


Each Other

by RosalineLevesque



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Angst, Brotherhood, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Cause I write such pretentious crap, Drama, Family Feels, Gen, Like right before everything went wrong, More like melodrama, Pre-Canon, Siblings, You Know What I'm Talking About
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-19 01:27:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14864045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosalineLevesque/pseuds/RosalineLevesque
Summary: Ed dropped his pen. Despite fast approaching, the steps were light, barely pressing the wooden floor and they belonged to the only other breathing soul in the house.'The only other for now'. Ed reminded himself.He stood up, not even needing to peek over his shoulder to find out who it was and doing so anyway. "Al, what's the matter?"





	Each Other

_'Water: 35L, carbon 20 kg, ammonia 4 L, lime 1.5 kg. Or maybe it isn't sufficient? 1.6 kg? No, no. The equation is correct, 1.5 remains. Now, phosphorous 800 g...'_  
  
Add. Subtract. Multiply. Divide. Check and recheck every comma and every unit of measurement. A zero where it wasn't needed or a gram instead of a kilogram would ruin it all.  
  
Ed's hands were trembling, abused by the effort, but he continued to calculate in shaky writing, too wrapped up in his own mind to care. A single dying candle lit up the desk, revealing inked papers all over.  
  
Pen against sheet, a creaky melody that bounced off the walls to the four corners of the room and clotted all else hearable. It was a constant, a natural phenomenon in the seemingly endless cycle taking place.  
  
When the sound of footsteps from the hallway neared to the degree of overtaking said constant, the chain reaction snapped. Ed dropped his pen. Despite fast approaching, the steps were light, barely pressing the wooden floor and they belonged to the only other breathing soul in the house.  
  
_'The only other for now.'_ Ed reminded himself.  
  
He stood up, not even needing to peek over his shoulder to find out who it was and doing so anyway. "Al, what's the matter?"  
  
Was it foolish to inquire into an answer he dreaded with his entire being?  
  
Alphonse looked his brother dead in the eye. That one glance acknowledged the truth between them and laid it bare to see. The problem was, Ed didn't like it. He didn't want it mentioned in his presence, much less for him to reiterate it at this ungodly hour of the night. So, he braced himself for the hit, because that's what truth truly was, a slap to the face.  
  
Although, Al's next words felt more like a punch. "I've been thinking about the case in which it won't work."  
  
Edward inhaled, deeply. There shouldn't have been any place for "IFs" in their hypothesis. A good scientist made sure to cover every hole with cold facts and carefully structured arguments. Yet, here they were. Not to mention, they could not allow silly doubts to consume their confidence at this point, so close...  
  
"Al, we have been working on this for the past two years and teacher herself said we're better than most grown-ups." He paused for a few seconds before latching onto his brother's shoulders, for comfort. For whom though, Al wasn't able to tell.  
  
"If anyone can do this-" Ed went on in wavering triumph. "it's us!"  
  
The grin on Edward's face was clearly...plastic, fabricated, etched there through stubbornness and an odd sense of duty to be strong, rock-sturdy.  
  
But, even the biggest boulders crumbled.  
  
Alphone's gaze darted down, unable to stand the facade any longer, as his voice came out just as low. "Still, the worst situations always-"  
  
"Same here." What? Did he hear right? "It's..." A sigh "Me too, Al. Me too."  
  
It's not that he wasn't aware of this that caused the split second shock. Of course he knew and if he hadn't, Al would have been completely disappointed in himself. The vulnerability shown, however, had been locked ever since that day. The sigh of it back, even the littlest bit, filled him with affection and rendered his heart to swell for his brother's, both joined in solidarity.  
  
"I understand." _You are not alone._ "Thanks, for being honest." _Thank you for opening up to me._  
  
Ed's expression brightened while an easy smile bloomed to life. Message received, Al concluded.  
  
The hug that followed conveyed all of his initiator's pent-up hurt, fear for what was to come and above everything else, gratitude.  
  
_No, Al. Thank YOU, for being here._  
  
The boys stayed engulfed in the other's warm embrace. They leant into one another and enjoyed the small moment, both of them alive and together, which for the two meant the whole world.  
  
"Hey, brother!" Al whispered after a while. "If we do fail-"  
  
Quickly, eyebrows furrowed "Al-"  
  
"Please, let me finish." The seriousness in his tone froze Ed and his mouth shut. At the same time, alarm bells rang and boiling complaints were surfacing rapidly.  
  
Al tightened his grip. "If we do fail, we'll still have each other, won't we?"  
  
Ed's throat became suddenly full and sore, probably 'cause of the dead complaints stuck in there. He held his bottom lip in between his teeth, then closed his blurry eyes. He was the big brother, he wasn't supposed to weep. Oh, but those tears...  
  
"Always, brother." Edward choked out a sob. And Alphonse, not far behind, hiccuped in response. "Always."

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, FMA fandom! Can you tell the Elric brothers ruined me, because they sure did. Anyway, I cross my fingers and hope this isn't as bad as I think it is since the Elric bros deserve only the best.  
> Furthermore, KUDOS, COMMENTS AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM ARE ALL APPRECIATED!  
> Thank you for reading!


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